Display device



Nov. 10, 1942. M. R. GREISER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed may 28, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 En MGR m RM W v M Nov. l0, 1942.

M. R. GRElsER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 2s, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1NVENTOR Mel. rnv R GRE/SEQ..

ATTORNEYE.

Patented Nov. 10, 1942 UNITEDV STATES PATENT OFFICEA DISPLAY DEVICE.

Melvin R.. Greiser, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to Carthage Mills Incorporated, Carthage, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May Z8, 1940, Serial No. 337,672 s claims. (ci. --53) This invention relates to a display device and more particularly to a device adapted for the selection of appropriate floor coverings for a given decorative scheme of the walls, ceilings. and

the like of a room. The selection of appropriate floor coverings in the decoration of a home is a difcult problem for the reason that it is almost impossible to get an adequate picture of what the complete room will look like from a small sample of floor covering material. It is impracticable to take a number of carpets out and try them in a room and it is not practicable to take samples of wall papers and the like to an establishment where floor coverings are sold for the purpose of determining the color harmony.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide means whereby a color harmony for a decorative scheme for a room may be examined and judged without the necessity of moving large and cumbersome pieces of floor covering material out to the place where they are to be used.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a compact and readily portable arrangement whereby different decorative schemes of walls, ceilings and the like may be simulated, and whereby selectively diierent floor coverings may be shown in their relation to such a simulated room.

These and other objects of my invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter or which will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts, of which I shall now describe exemplary embodiments.

Reference is now had to the drawings forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure l is a front elevation of one form. of display device according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 2*-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view onA an enlarged scale taken'on the line 3 3 ofr Fig. 2'.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modication of my display device.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of a device similar to Fig. 5 but modified in pa-rt.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view with parts broken away to show the inner construction of a third modification of my device.

Brieiiy, in the practice of my invention, I provide means for simulating the walls and the ceiling, and the uncovered portion of the floor of a room. In connection therewith I provide also means for projecting onto the floor an image of a floor covering. In all the modifications shown herein the floor covering is provided by a projected image. In the embodiment' otFigs. 1- 1go-4, theA remaining parts of the room are also formed by a projected image, while in Figs. 5 to 7 the decorative scheme of the walls is provided by inserts of appropriate design.

n Referring more particularly now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive. I have shown at I0 in Fig. 1 a frame containing a screen of ground. glass or the like I.I The frame is provided with a light shade I2 which may be omitted if desired. Fastened to the frame is a box-like element I3 (Fig. 2) which is preferably light, tight and which may be provided with a door I4 if desired. At the end of the member I3 I mount a pair of projectors indicated generally at I5, each containing a projection source of light I6 and a continuous lens system generally indicated at I1. Each oi the projectors contains a iilm transport arrangement indicated generally at I8 in Fig. 2, and each includes a lens system I9. As shown in Figs. .3 and 4, spools 20 are provided between which a roll of lm 2I is transported. The lm is transported by actuating the knobs 22 in the appropriate direction. The film transport per se forms no partJ of my invention and has been shown in a more or less diagrammatic way. Each lm 2| passes over a mask device which serves as a lm track and is generally indicated in the figures at 23 and 24. The masks 23 and 24 are generally similar except as to the opening therein. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the mask 23 is provided with a generally rectangular opening 23a which is dimensioned by a generally trapezoidal portion 23. While the mask 24 has on the trapezoid an opening 24a.

It will now be clear that if a film having images of various arrangements is caused to travel past the mask 23 there will be projected upon the screen II the image of a room complete except ior the oor. Now if a lm is passed through the mask 24, which lm bears images of different floor coverings, the images of thesel floor coverings will be projected into the space marked by the portion 23D of the portion 23.v It is contemplated that colored film will be employed such as, for example, Kodachrome manufactured by the Eastman Kodak Company.

It will now be clear that one may first project through the mask 23 a film of Various room arrangements and select one which corresponds most nearly to the type of room for which it is desired to provide a iioo-r covering. Having selected a suitablel room decorative scheme, it is now possible to project through the mask 24 selectively a variety of floor coverings. It will now be easy to select a floor covering which harmonizes with the general scheme of the room.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, I have shown modications in which the oor covering only is displayed by means of a projected image and where the.A Wall forY this. isyproducedby paper or cardboard either in the form of a roll .having sections with different panels or in the form of cardboard or the like inserts and in which the iioor covering image may be projected from above as in Figs. 5 and 6 or from below as in Fig. '7. Referring specifically to Fig. 5 I have shown a box having a top 25 and a bottom 26. This box has front corner posts 2l and rear corner rods 28. Adjacent the corner posts 27 I mount rollers 29 in brackets 3i). The rollers are provided With cranks 3l. Passing from one roller 29 through a slot 32 in the corner post 2'! and behind the rods 28, and again through the slot 32 in the other corner post 27, and onto the second drum 29 is a strip of paper or the like indicated generally at 33, carrying wall paper designs. I contemplate that successive lengths of the material 33 equal to the combined length at least of the three Walls or" the' box 25 shall have different designs.

In order to give the effect of Windows, doors or the like, I mount over the wall spaces sheets of transparent material such as Cellophane, indicated generally at 35i, bearing representations of the window or the like indicated generally at 35. The areas of such a Window which would be glass, as indicated at 3s, are made of an opaque material so that the Wall paper design will not show through. For the purpose of illuminating the Walls I provide lamps indicated generally at 3'! provided respectively with shields t3, whereby they will not illuminate the floor 2S.

Mounted on the top 25 of the box is a projector indicated generally at 3? which may be of any desired type, and images of oor covering materials in the form of a glass slide indicated generally at 40 may be passed through the projector to form an image 40 of the rug or the like.

In Fig. 6 the Wall portions are formed by pieces of card board and the like, indicated generally at lll, which may be slid into place through slots 42 in the top. Also in Fig, 6 I have shown a film carriage d3 rather than the slide arrangement of Fig. 5 although it will be understood that either of these arrangements may be used in any of the embodiments herein described.

In Fig. 'l I have shownanother modification in which the projection apparatus is housed in a casing at. The top of the casing i5 represents the floor of a room and the Walls may be rcpresented by forms :is of various designs. In the top of the casing 44 is a projection screen of ground glass or the like, indicated at il toreceive the image of the oor covering material. Within the casin-g I have indicated generally at 48 -a projector and at it an endless strip of rlm passing through the focal plane of the projector and carrie-d about an arrangement of rollers 50. A sprocket 5i is provided for advancing playing in the remaining three sides a representathe lm, and the sprocket is actuated by means of a ratchet mechanism indicated generally at 52 by means of the arm 53. The arm t3 is urged upwardly by means of a spring 54 and is operated by means of a solenoid 55 working against the spring Sli. The solenoir 55 may be actuated by a push button 55 on the outside of the casing and appropriately connected electrically with a source of power and the solenoid. Such electrical connections form no part of my invention and will therefore not be described in detail.

With the arrangement of Fig, 'l an appropriate Wall arrangement is set up at i6 and then the push button 56 is actuated, bringing successively a large number of images of oor coverings onto the screen 41 for comparison With the Wall mem- I bers 46.

tion of Wall paper, and means for selectively projecting onto the bottom of said box an image of a floor covering,

2. A device of the class described comprising a box open at one side at least, rotatable drums mounted adjacent said opening on opposite sides thereof, means for conducting a strip of paper or the like from one drum to the other over the three remaining sides of said box, said strip of paper or the like carrying representations of various kinds of Wall paper, and means for projecting onto the bottom of box selectively an image of a fioor covering.

3. A device of the class described comprising a box open at one side at least, rotatable drums mounted adjacent said opening on opposite sides thereof, means for conducting a strip of paper or the like from one drum to the other over the three remaining sides of said box, said strip of paper or the like carrying representations of various kinds of Wall paper, means for projecting onto the bottom of said box selectively an image of a oor covering, and means for independently illuminating the Walls of said box While shielding the bottom thereof.

4. A device of the class described comprising a box open at one side at least, rotatable drums mounted adjacent said opening on opposite sides thereof, means for conducting a strip of paper or the like from one drum to the other over the three remaining sides of said box, said strip of paper or the like carrying representations of various kinds of Wall paper, means for projecting onto the bottom of said box selectively an image of a floor covering, and means for independently illuminating the Walls of said box while shielding the bottom thereof, said projecting means comprising a projector mounted on the top of said box and arranged to throw an image on the bottom thereof.

5. In a device according to claim 2 a transparent material bearing an opaque representation of a Wall opening and trim, extending over a wall in front of said strip of paper.

6. A device according to claim 1 in which the means for displaying representations of Wall paper comprise inserts of relatively stiff material selectively disposed against said remaining Walls.

7. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a projection screen in the top of said casing, means for displaying about said screen representations of various kinds of Wall paper, and projection means Within said casing for selectively projecting an image of a floor covering material onto said screen.

8. A device according to claim 7 in which said projection means comprises a projector, an endless strip of film, means for feeding said iilm through said projector, solenoid means for actuating said feeding means, a push button on the outside of said casing and an operative circuit including said push button and said solenoid.

v MELVIN R. GREISER. 

